EdX

Hinduism Through Its Scriptures (edX)

Offered by HarvardX, Harvard University,

Learn about the rich diversity of Hindu sacred texts – hymns, narratives, philosophical thought – and their interpretations. Ever wondered about the sacred scriptures that have sustained for millennia one of the oldest and most diverse religions of the world - Hinduism? Want to discover the lessons this history may offer mankind in the 21st century?

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

This religion course introduces the rich and diverse textual sources from which millions of Hindus have drawn religious inspiration for millennia. The Bhagavad Gita has offered philosophical insights to a number of modern thinkers. This course will introduce important passages from important Hindu sacred texts, their interpretations by moderns and will give you an opportunity to engage with them.

This course is part of the World Religions Through Their Scriptures XSeries Program.

What you'll learn:

Religious and philosophical insights conveyed in Hindu texts
How scriptures are interpreted to diverse ends in different historical contexts
Sensitive appreciation of world religions

Go to Class

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Coursera

University of Edinburgh

Intellectual Humility: Science (Coursera)

Humanities

It’s clear that the world needs more intellectual humility. But how do we develop this virtue? And why do so many people still end up so arrogant? Do our own biases hold us back from becoming as intellectually humble as we could be—and are there some biases that actually make us more likely to be humble? Which cognitive dispositions and personality traits give people an edge at being more intellectually humble - and are they stable from birth, learned habits, or something in between? And what can contemporary research on the emotions tell us about encouraging intellectual humility in ourselves and others?

Aug 17th 2026

4 Weeks

Science Philosophy Psychology

Coursera

Yale University

The Worldview of Thomas Berry: The Flourishing of the Earth Community (Coursera)

Humanities

Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was a historian of world religions and an early voice awakening moral sensibilities to the environmental crisis. He is known for articulating a “new story” of the universe that explores the implications of the evolutionary sciences and cultural traditions for creating a flourishing future. This course investigates Berry’s life and thought in relation to the Journey of the Universe project.

Aug 17th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Earth Cosmology Universe

EdX

University of Iceland,UIcelandX

Gender and Intersectionality (edX)

Humanities

Gender intersects with everything. Using examples from popular culture, classical literature, and history, this course will teach you how to analyze religious texts and traditions, class divisions, racial inequality, sexualities and nationalism through a gendered lens.

Self Paced

Self-Paced

Gender Sexuality Religion

EdX

HarvardX,Harvard University

Buddhism Through Its Scriptures (edX)

Humanities

Learn about the rich and diverse beliefs and practices of Buddhists across time and place. Experience Buddhism through its scriptures, both relationally as well as academically. Whether you are new to the study of Buddhism or have been studying it or practicing it for years, this course will provide you with the opportunity to become acquainted with a variety of Buddhist teachings while guiding you to think about them, and yourself, in new ways.

Self Paced

Self-Paced

Buddhist Art Buddhist Buddhism

Coursera

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Structuring Values in Modern China (Coursera)

Humanities History

This sequence of four courses will propose a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Chinese cultural history conceived of as a succession of modes of rationality (philosophical, bureaucratic, and economic). The focus will be on the moments of paradigm shift from one mode of rationality to another. For each of these moments, cultural facts and artifacts—thought, literature, ritual—will be examined in relationship to changing social, political, and economic systems.

Aug 17th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science History China

EdX

HarvardX,Harvard University

Islam Through Its Scriptures (edX)

Humanities

Learn about the Quran, the central sacred text of Islam, through an exploration of the rich diversity of roles and interpretations in Muslim societies. How can you improve your understanding of Islam and its most important holy text, the Quran? How can you make sense of a tradition and a text that have been interpreted in different ways across vast geographical spaces for nearly a millennium and a half?

Self Paced

Self-Paced

Islam Quran Scriptures

Coursera

Yale University

Indigenous Religions & Ecology (Coursera)

Humanities Art and Culture

At first glance the fields of religion and ecology may seem and unlikely pairing, but a deeper consideration reveals the two have a great deal to contribute to one another and are indeed inextricably linked. Religions recognize the unity and interdependence of humans with nature. Ecological sciences affirm this deep interconnection with the natural world. This partnership can inspire work for the wellbeing of the Earth community

Aug 3rd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Environment Ecology Conservation

Coursera

Erasmus University Rotterdam

The Politics of Skepticism (Coursera)

Humanities

This is a course about the history of Skepticism from the ancient Greeks to today, with special attention to the political ramifications of questioning man's ability to know the world and himself with any certainty. We will discuss the debates raging between Plato and the Sophists, the rise of Christianity in the Roman world, and the so-called 'Skeptical Crisis' of the Renaissance as well as Pierre Bayle's Skepticism and David Hume's.

Aug 3rd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Law Politics Renaissance

Religion and Conflict Transformation (edX)

EdX

Boston University,BUx

Religion and Conflict Transformation (edX)

Social Sciences

This course will introduce students to the theology, worldview, and practice of faith-based conflict transformation. It will prepare students to become leaders equipped with basic tools of conflict analysis in families, organizations, communities, and larger systems of oppression.

No sessions available

5-12 Weeks

Religion Theology Conflict Transformation

EdX

The University of British Columbia,UBCx

The Science of Religion (edX)

Humanities History

What is religion? Are we wired to believe? Does science have the answers? Join us on a journey to the origins of religion and spirituality. Drawing on new scientific advances, this religion course examines foundational questions about the nature of religious belief and practice.

This course is archived

5-12 Weeks

Religion Morality Spirituality

Coursera

University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101 (Coursera)

Humanities

This course examines the nature of both science and religion and attempts to explore the possible relationships between them. The primary purpose is to dispel the popular myth that science and religion are entrenched in a never-ending conflict. As a result, this course argues that if the limits of both science and religion are respected, then their relationship can be complementary.

Aug 3rd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Astronomy Philosophy

Coursera

University of California, Irvine

Chemerinsky on Constitutional Law - Individual Rights and Liberties (Coursera)

Law Social Sciences

Chemerinsky on Constitutional Law: Individual Rights and Liberties will highlight the construction and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution through the centuries with an emphasis on protections of individual liberties and the evolution of equal protection. You'll learn the history behind the Constitution, cases that formed important precedent, and how changes in interpretation have been dependent on shifts in cultural and political climate as well as the composition of the Supreme Court.

Aug 10th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Law Constitutional Law Constitution